[pitt]

I just feel like writing about my camp experience to guys who want to join the oil industry.

As some of you know im in this business for 3 weeks now, living in these oil fields give you lots of advantages such as:

Free accomodation and food - You dont spend a penny for meals or accomodation, everything is free and you eat as much as you like, it definetely helps with the saving money.

Internet and telephone - Being a hse inspector i spend lots of time both in the field and in the office. In the office i get to surf the internet and messaging chicks from a country to wherever destination im going next. When you on holiday, you dont really have much time to be spending on the internet looking for girls and shit, so working here, gives you that time to message girls and pre book them before you arrive. You also have a free phone in your room, which makes easier for you to keep in touch with girls from all parts of the globe. The girls just love when i call them from overseas, it means that i give them value even when im abroad. Even the chicks i have been meeting on social sites i have been calling them to build comfort and when i get there i can just close it.

Saving money - You dont spend money when you here, i havent spent a penny so far, so it helps you saving money and spend money on other shit (maybe your business if you are a business head person).

Disadvantages

Lots of hours, from 6am to 6pm from monday to saturday, half day on sunday. But it aint really hard as it may sound, you get used to it after a while and i never liked the idea of working but fuck it, i can handle it.

You cant fuck girls in the camp - I saw these two bad brazillian sisters 3 days ago that would never walk past me in any part of the world without me approaching them but the dudes on here just tell me that i cant really be approaching here because i could lose my job and bla bla. But i still approach on indirect basis just to keep the game in check. You also spend lots of days without banging, that shit is a bit negative but fuck it.


When you have experience the money is reallly good, so im thinking long term here so i dont really care about the money they paying me right now (i dont just rely on that anyway). So when you have years of experience then you will really make good money, i hardly see british expats or american expats with yrs of experience making less than 600 dollars a day.

It also helps with business network, i already made few connections here in terms of business, majority of people here are well off and many of them have businesses on the side, so thats a definetely positive point of working for these companies, you get to meet really successful people.


Guys interested in joining it, there are many areas to be part of this industry such as: electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering, hse, electronics, etc.

I heard that in Kuwait they pay really well (250$ per day just for the dangerous pay meaning that you still get your 600 dollars per day or whatever you get) so i really want to move to these high paying areas after complete my 2 yrs here and have my post graduation diploma in hse. Or maybe scotian will help me finding a job in canada oil fields .

Anyway, resuming, this industry is the shit, dont sleep, go get this money, you only work 6 months per year so it cant be that bad.

[Dash Global]

Pitt,

Can you break down your situation?

What job do you have?

How you got the job?

Qualifications needed?

Pay?

Industry outlook? (best locations and specific jobs)

ect.

[pitt]

You have a pm

[Screwston]

Pitt - can u forward the same info my way?

[pitt]

done

[Aliblahba]

Good report pitt. I'm glad I could help. You're on your way. Don't look at it as not getting laid for 30 days. Think of it as gaining the resources to fuck double in the next 30 days.

Don't sweat working 12 days. It's conditioning. When you go back to a 40 hr week job you'll out perform the competition.

[scotian]

Good to hear that you're doing well in camp Pitt and sorry about taking so long to reply.

If you're looking for work in northern Alberta, Canada, now is the time! Its getting crazy busy up here again, on my last month on I averaged about 100 hours worked per week, one week I did 120!

Also, I know for sure that the contract companies are hiring green hands now, a buddy of mine just got on with no skills, just a few of the basic one day safety training certs like first-aid, H2S, etc.

I don't know much about the safety trade, but all contractors and client companies have safety officers and especially in recent years, safety is huge!

As far as job search goes, you can google: careers.infooil.com, rizone.com, jobbank.gc.ca, monster, workopolis, etc.

Of course you'll need an appropriate visa to work here and you can find that info at http://www.cic.gc.ca

Oh ya, you can get laid in camp and I've seen some decent looking women in these camps (lots of early 20's Canadian girls working up here ), but the ratio is about 9:1 and they do of course have the biggest bitch shields ever, imagine being a hot chick and walking into a dining hall and seeing 500 guys ogle you with no shame, lol!

[chefedemaquina]

I work on the boats that service the offshore oil fields, worked in Alaska, Brazil and the GoM. Everybody starts on the bottom. Average pay for an ordinary seaman is roughly $170-200 per day of work. A work schedule is variable by companies 7 days on 7 days off, 14 on 7 off, 14 on 14 off 28 days on 14 days off. I like doing 10 weeks on and taking a month off. I am a licensed chief engineer, most companies the master and the chief will be on the same pay scale. The pay is great, a chief with the company I work for will make $600 every work day (12 hours). We have people from all over the country working for us. You will need a MMD and a TWIC card to be considered by most employers to get hired on.

[Aliblahba]

(10-19-2011 10:37 AM)chefedemaquina Wrote:  

I work on the boats that service the offshore oil fields, worked in Alaska, Brazil and the GoM. Everybody starts on the bottom. Average pay for an ordinary seaman is roughly $170-200 per day of work. A work schedule is variable by companies 7 days on 7 days off, 14 on 7 off, 14 on 14 off 28 days on 14 days off. I like doing 10 weeks on and taking a month off. I am a licensed chief engineer, most companies the master and the chief will be on the same pay scale. The pay is great, a chief with the company I work for will make $600 every work day (12 hours). We have people from all over the country working for us. You will need a MMD and a TWIC card to be considered by most employers to get hired on.

Thanks bro. Feel free to add as much as you'd like. I didn't want to return to the GOM, but have now realized there's some goldmines just across the pond, ie. DR, El Salvador, Guadalajara, ect. It's still not my first choice, but is still on the table. Stay safe out there.

[chefedemaquina]

There are job placement companies all along the gulf coast that will place you for a large fee, I don't recommend using such services. Most people are brought on board by friends or relatives. There are also "schools" that will train you as an AB, QMED or cook, they will also help with obtaining the required documents such as a TWIC or the MMD. You can also go to the government websites and download the forms you will need. Be prepared for an extensive background check, not only will the coast guard background you but also the TSA. http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twi..._faqs.shtm this is the website for the TWIC card or you can google twic.com, it's all the same. http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/ here is the website for the coast guard, all the information is here to obtain your MMD.

[pitt]

(10-24-2011 05:38 AM)chefedemaquina Wrote:  

There are job placement companies all along the gulf coast that will place you for a large fee, I don't recommend using such services. Most people are brought on board by friends or relatives. There are also "schools" that will train you as an AB, QMED or cook, they will also help with obtaining the required documents such as a TWIC or the MMD. You can also go to the government websites and download the forms you will need. Be prepared for an extensive background check, not only will the coast guard background you but also the TSA. http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/twi..._faqs.shtm this is the website for the TWIC card or you can google twic.com, it's all the same. http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/ here is the website for the coast guard, all the information is here to obtain your MMD.

That sounds good, i wouldnt mind to pay a fee to get the right job. Do you mind if you tell us what are the job sites for these job placement companies?

[Dash Global]

chefedemaquina,

can you breakdown the best route to go for someone looking to get into this work? ie the best path for most money easiest work, fastest promotion ect

essentially how you would do it given what you know after the fact.

[chefedemaquina]

(10-24-2011 08:17 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  

chefedemaquina,

can you breakdown the best route to go for someone looking to get into this work? ie the best path for most money easiest work, fastest promotion ect

essentially how you would do it given what you know after the fact.

The best way to get hired on is to have a friend working with an offshore company and have him or her get you on. Other than that, just drive down to south Louisiana and put in apps. A lot of companies will hire on the spot if they need people as opposed to going through applications. I was 25, out of the navy and going to school when I needed some cash for the summer, a friend got me on a tug boat and the rest was history, I liked the work and I liked the pay, during the early '80s there was a lot of partying on the boats, lot's of drinking, smoking weed and in Port Arthur Texas we had 2 groupies who would go from cabin to cabin while we were in port. I started out on deck and after a year moved into the engine room, it was a wise decision because after 3 years I was chief engineer making mega bucks, at least for the mid '80s. I retired from the boats on Aug 1 and was making 600 a day. I was called back to the company as a port engineer working in Macae and Rio, they made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. I found that the fastest way up the ladder and making series cash is in the engine room, Let's say that an 18 year old went to work on a supply boat or an anchor boat, he goes into the engine room starting at roughly 170-180 per day, after I think 1 year sea time, they can get a QMED and start making close to 300 per day, at 21 they can get an engineers license and start making 500+ a day. Not bad for being 21. You can also go the deck route, same thing, start at 170-180, get an AB and go to about 300, at 21 you can get a mates license then with sea time and testing get a captains license. It is a longer process for the same money. What I liked most about boat work is that you bust your ass for 28 days, get off and have 2 weeks and a pocket full of money to do or go where ever you want. It is a single mans life and I don't regret any of it.

[Dash Global]

How dangerous and hard is the work?

[chefedemaquina]

(10-25-2011 06:40 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  

How dangerous and hard is the work?

Not really all that hard or dangerous. You just have to be aware of your surroundings and think before jump into a project. Safety is a major issue with all offshore companies, 10 years ago you just went ahead and did it, now there are permit to work, pre job safety meetings, stop work authorities and all safety gear has to be on. General maintenance is fairly simple, it is when the weather conditions deteriorate and the seas are rough, this is when accidents happen. It seems to me that if something is going to happen, it happens at night in rough weather. As far as being hard, it's when you make or break a tow if you are on a tug or if you work on a supply boat it's when you rigging cargo, in the engine room, it's pretty laid back, cleaning and painting, engine servicing and auxiliary equipment maintenance is pretty much it, but, there is the extreme heat you will have to deal with. Depending on the ventilation, it could get 150 degrees plus in the engine room. I remember towing a tandem tow from Seattle to Newark, down around Panama it was so hot you couldn't touch the habd rails in the engine room, When you took a shower, the cold water would blister you,

[Sardino]

(10-25-2011 12:07 PM)chefedemaquina Wrote:  

(10-24-2011 08:17 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  

chefedemaquina,

can you breakdown the best route to go for someone looking to get into this work? ie the best path for most money easiest work, fastest promotion ect

essentially how you would do it given what you know after the fact.

The best way to get hired on is to have a friend working with an offshore company and have him or her get you on. Other than that, just drive down to south Louisiana and put in apps. A lot of companies will hire on the spot if they need people as opposed to going through applications. I was 25, out of the navy and going to school when I needed some cash for the summer, a friend got me on a tug boat and the rest was history, I liked the work and I liked the pay, during the early '80s there was a lot of partying on the boats, lot's of drinking, smoking weed and in Port Arthur Texas we had 2 groupies who would go from cabin to cabin while we were in port. I started out on deck and after a year moved into the engine room, it was a wise decision because after 3 years I was chief engineer making mega bucks, at least for the mid '80s. I retired from the boats on Aug 1 and was making 600 a day. I was called back to the company as a port engineer working in Macae and Rio, they made me an offer that I couldn't refuse. I found that the fastest way up the ladder and making series cash is in the engine room, Let's say that an 18 year old went to work on a supply boat or an anchor boat, he goes into the engine room starting at roughly 170-180 per day, after I think 1 year sea time, they can get a QMED and start making close to 300 per day, at 21 they can get an engineers license and start making 500+ a day. Not bad for being 21. You can also go the deck route, same thing, start at 170-180, get an AB and go to about 300, at 21 you can get a mates license then with sea time and testing get a captains license. It is a longer process for the same money. What I liked most about boat work is that you bust your ass for 28 days, get off and have 2 weeks and a pocket full of money to do or go where ever you want. It is a single mans life and I don't regret any of it.

For someone who has no relevant work experience how easy is it to get into this industry? Obviously showing up in person would be a lot better than sending a resume online, but do you think I could get a job by sending my resume to some places online?

[chefedemaquina]

Sure, a lot of companies take online app's, also you can go the placement service route. They will find you a job for a price. Just google up different offshore companies and they will have online app's. Here are a few boat companies you can google. EDISON CHOUEST OFFSHORE, OTTO CANDIES, GULF OFFSHORE LOGISTICS, TIDEWATER MARINE, HARVEY GULF INTERNATIONAL, CROSBY TUGS, ABDON CALLIAS OFFSHORE, HORNBECK OFFSHORE, CROWLEY MARITIME (union), FOSS MARITIME (union) there are plenty of other boat companies. There are also rig companies like DIAMOND OFFSHORE, TRANSOCEAN, POOLE and a host of other smaller companies. Good Luck

[Screwston]

since i'm already down south and barely starting college...i'm wondering if i should try to get a degree to put me in this field? what do yall og's think?

[pitt]

Interesting article about north dakota jobs

http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/28/pf/north.../index.htm

[Blunt]

Is it worth it to purse a masters of petroleum engineering to break into this field? I am a recent engineering grad and have no related work experience but I'm interested in getting into this industry, especially in eastern europe/central asia.

[rekruler]

Hey Pitt, could you forward your breakdown of how you landed this gig to me as well? I'd much appreciate it!

[xmlenigma]

Pitt - Do send me the details as well please. Also the info on this Document Controller guy. I am stoked that the $$$ He's making Is that 18000/ month?.

(10-08-2011 01:19 AM)pitt Wrote:  

Malcom i have met this british guy on my camp who is a document controller and he is making 18000 dollars on 28 days rotation and he is only 26. But he has 9 yrs of experience. Money rains in this industry.

(12-01-2011 03:31 AM)rekruler Wrote:  

Hey Pitt, could you forward your breakdown of how you landed this gig to me as well? I'd much appreciate it!

[jdreise]

Sorry to revive a dying thread but I'm interested in this and have a few specific questions. Actually, I'm seeking more specific advice from some of you guys that have been in this industry.

First off, if I want to get to started in oil and gas, would it be better to start at the bottom as a laborer or should I try to put my non-technical bachelor's degree to use and find some kind of administrative job? Maybe in logistics? Is it even possible to find a job like that without prior experience in logistics and/or oil and gas?

I was looking at a 6 month professional certificate course in Global Logistics through Cal State Long Beach thinking that I might be able to use it to bolster my resume, network, and open some doors. I don't know if it would be worth it though if my goal is to get into oil and gas logistics.

I figure if I take that course, polish my resume, and write a convincing cover letter that explains how my past international and managerial experience would make me a good candidate, I might have a shot. I know a few guys in Korea that are working in logistics as military contractors that maybe I could use as references. I don't know if that would help. I would be willing to go anywhere even though I read that you guys said it will take a few years working Stateside to land a good gig in the Middle East.

The only work experience I have is a couple years teaching English abroad (working on contract), and a year managing a restaurant back in the States. I also played a season of minor league baseball but that seems irrelevant to put on the resume. All of this might be a pipe dream at this point... I'm not sure

Any thoughts?

[Aliblahba]

I'd use your education to land something. Unless your just dying to go get dirty, concentrate on logistics. These jobs pay a little less, but those guys in the defense industry never have to look for a job.

Maybe your friends can help you out in Korea. It would be another good starting point to gain some experience. And I would put your minor league experience on your resume. If I was a hiring manager, that would impress me.

It's not a pipe dream. You'll get your foot in the door. Teaching might be the vehicle your looking for. If you want to work in the Middle East, go teach English, until you find something else. Being on the ground looking for a job is infinitely more productive than doing it online.

[el mechanico]

(10-24-2011 08:17 PM)Dash Global Wrote:  

chefedemaquina,

can you breakdown the best route to go for someone looking to get into this work? ie the best path for most money easiest work, fastest promotion ect

essentially how you would do it given what you know after the fact.

^^^^This. Me too